


Zootopia: Smiling Partners

by VariableMammal



Series: Zootopia: Partners [18]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 12:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6753037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VariableMammal/pseuds/VariableMammal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Judy Wilde-Hopps are reacquainted with someone from their past, known for her lovely smile. But, could that smile be hiding anything?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Zootopia: Smiling Partners

-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment, Larry's Room-  
  
  
    "Argh, c'mon, I had just gotten back!" Nick Wilde-Hopps gestured at the TV in his adopted squirrel son Larry's room. The two were playing a video game; Nick was sitting on the floor, and the gray squirrel was sitting on his bed. Nick was losing, pretty badly.  
  
    "Nick, you're just  _letting_ me win, aren't you?" Larry chuckled, giving a slight chitter with his laugh.  
  
    "No, I swear!" Nick said, grimacing and wrestling with the controls. He didn't have the excuse that his hands were too big, as they had three controllers, all sized just right for two medium-small sized animals, and one who was quite small. "Remember, I just learned how to play this today. Which button is jump again?" The game finished, and Larry won. "Gah! Well, good game, Larry." Nick offered his fist and Larry gave it a one-two punch with his small squirrel hands. "Are you sure you didn't pick an overpowered character?"  
  
    "Nick, none of the characters are overpowered!" Larry protested. "All of them have stuff they are good or bad at. You just gotta practice with them!"  
  
    "Well then!" Nick rubbed his chin. "I never thought I'd say this, but it looks like Super Bash Bunnies can teach you something about real life!" Nick poked Larry's tummy to elicit a giggle.  
  
    "What do you mean?" Larry was confused.  
  
    "Well, look at all of these unique characters," Nick pointed at the character select screen. "Some of them are big, some are small. Some have sharp claws, others use tools or are very fast. But all of them can win the game. In real life, animals are very different too. We are big or small, and we all have our own unique traits like agility, strength, night vision, or hearing. But all of us can be  _good_ people, if we practice at it."  
  
    Larry looked happy at this little nugget of wisdom. But then he frowned slightly. "But Nick, there are bad people in the world, too. That's why you and Judy are police officers, right?"  
  
    "That's right, Larry. Those people don't practice at being good," Nick nodded. "We are the 'characters' in our own lives. We all have the  _capacity_ to be good. So don't you forget that, okay?"  
  
    Larry shook his head as he internalized the lesson. "I won't!"  
  
    Nick shot him a smug grin. "Now, if you want to  _lose_ at this game, you should play against your mo- er, Judy." Nick caught himself almost dropping the "m-bomb". Even though they only had Larry as a part of their family for several months, he was finding it so natural to refer to her as a mother. But he didn't want to force this on Larry; he would rather it happen organically, if he ever even  _wanted_ to call them "mother" and "father".  
  
    "Is Judy good at this game?" Larry smirked.  
  
    "She played the first one with her brothers and sisters while growing up," Nick said. "And once she gets into something, she gets  _really_ into it. I wouldn't expect any mercy. She'd probably beat  _me_ ninety-nine times out of a hundred." Larry chuckled at this.  
  
    Nick's ears twitched slightly as he heard the sound of a door closing.  
  
    "Speaking of bunnies..."  
  
    "Judy!" Larry gasped.  
  


* * *

 

  
-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-  
  
  
    "Judy!" Larry repeated, rushing out of his room towards her, followed much more lazily by Nick. Judy had groceries in both hands and looked slightly startled at the quickly incoming squirrel boy. Nick reached into his pocket, preparing himself for the inevitable.  
  
    "Uh oh!" Judy's teeth showed in a tiny bit of worry as she crouched and set the groceries on the ground as quickly as she could. Larry seemed to move smoothly as silk as he jumped onto the couch, running along it as his large, bushy tail waved like a pennant, and then launched himself off the couch's arm towards Judy. Judy straightened up just in time.  
  
    Nick gave a silent fist pump as he captured a picture of the startled Judy holding her hands out to catch the leaping, jubilant squirrel. Nick then kissed at his own fingers.  
  
    "Hi, Judy!" Larry was now latched firmly onto her in an exuberant hug. Judy had one hand around him and one hand under him to support him.  
  
    "Aw, hey there..." Judy's expression was warm and caring. "Sheez, you always give me a fright when you do that."  
  
    "Squirrels are the best scurriers, though!" Larry explained. "And you give good hugs."  
  
    Judy giggled, thrilled. "Well, I hope you're going to be ready for a  _lot_ of those in the coming years. I got a bunch of practice hugging with all of my hundreds of family members."  
  
    "And Nick, you like hugging Nick!" Larry accused happily.  
  
    "All the time!" Judy agreed.  
  
    "Speaking of Nick, how about you turn your heads over to him and say hi?" Nick offered, trying to frame another good picture.  
  
    "Hi...!" They both obeyed him. Nick took a picture of their hug, getting their bright, happy faces aligned just right in the shot.  
  
    "Mm, that's the good stuff," Nick's expression was soft as he took in the picture. He wiggled his phone. "I'll have to spread this one around the office."  
  
    "Ooh," Judy's expression narrowed a bit in caution. "Please be careful about showing Benjamin. You know what happens when he sees something really, uh... 'cute'..."  
      
    "He makes a noise louder than the sonic function on your customized stun gun, I know," Nick chuckled.  
  
    Judy set Larry down softly. "Oh Nick, you'll never guess who I ran into at the store!"  
  
    Nick came over to pick up the groceries and put them away for Judy. "So is that a challenge, or should I just give up now to save some time?"   
  
    "It was Jiji!" Judy gave a single hop.  
  
    "Jiji, really?" Nick looked blindsided. "That nice leopard gecko from the massage parlor in Pawaii?"  
  
    "Leopard... geck-co...?" Larry sounded out the second word. "What kind of leopard is that?"  
  
    Judy crouched next to Larry. "Well, Larry, it's actually not a 'leopard' at all. Leopard geckos are reptiles! They're a completely different type of animal." Larry seemed a bit concerned at this.  
  
    "A few of the characters in Super Bash Bunnies are reptiles, sport," Nick said, putting away some of the nuts Judy had bought. They were getting a lot more varied types of those, lately. "The ones without fur; with scales and all."  
  
    "The game's name is kinda misleading, isn't it?" Judy giggled.  
      
    "Oh," Larry still seemed slightly concerned, "those are _real_? That's kinda... uh, weird."  
  
    "Now, Larry," Judy said, giving him a small pet. "It's okay to think that things are a bit unusual; sometimes we can't help that, but make sure you never say something like that  _to_ an animal you think looks 'weird', okay? It's not nice."  
  
    "O-okay," Larry nodded. "I promise."  
  
    "So what's going on with Jiji?" Nick said, putting away the milk, his fox tail giving a sweep across the floor. "If you caught even a tiny glimpse of her I can't imagine she got far before you were in her face."  
  
    "You know me," Judy kicked out her feet a bit. "She's here on a work visa I think? She's actually kind of having some problems. ...Ah... it looks like the place she wanted to stay didn't know what a leopard 'gecko' was either, and they have a no-reptiles policy." Nick sucked his teeth in annoyance.  
  
    "Why?" Larry wondered.  
  
    "Larry, that is an fantastic question," Nick said with his eyes half-lid. "And you know what? There's not a good answer to it."  
  
    "Do we know of anywhere she could stay?" Judy asked. "I got her number if we think of anything."  
  
    "Well heck, isn't the room right next to us vacant?" Nick shrugged.  
  
    "Aardvark Rise is a little expensive though," Judy lolled her ears in concern, her head tilting. "But... it does have quite an accepting atmosphere; that's why I chose it in the first place. When we moved in, no one even batted an eye."  
  
    "That," Nick started, "and Aardvark rise is great for anything from small to medium-large animals. The doors have several handles pre-installed on them at various height, so even Larry can get around easily. You know, I would actually kinda like to have Jiji as a neighbor. She was really sweet."  
  
    "Let me get her on the phone and see if her circumstances permit," Judy smiled, nodding her agreement.  
  
    Larry felt a small bit of worry in his stomach. He didn't know if he was quite as sure as his adopted parents.   
  


* * *

 

  
-Aardvark Rise, Nick and Judy's Floor-  
  
  
    Nick headed to the doorway of his apartment, dusting off his hands. It had been just a week and a half.  
  
    "Welp, got all of Jiji's stuff into the place," Nick gave a proud sigh. He knew it was easy to help a smaller animal move, but it made him feel good nonetheless.  
      
    "Aw Nick, you're such a sweetheart for helping her," Judy came over to him and smooched him briefly, standing on her tip toes. Larry, playing with toy cars on the floor, snuck a peek at this.  
  
    "I told her we'd come over and say hi properly in just a couple of minutes," Nick said. Judy turned to Larry, walking over and crouching next to him.  
  
    "Larry?" Judy asked. "Would you like to come meet Jiji?"  
  
    Larry felt a small wave of anxiety crash on him. "Um... okay."  
  
    Judy smiled at him. "Now, remember what I said, Larry. A great bunny philosopher once said: 'If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.'"  
  
    "Okay," Larry nodded at Judy.  
  
    Nick chuckled. "A bunny said that?" Judy gave him a few diagonal nods with her eyes open fully and her mouth even.  
  
    As they walked down towards Jiji's new apartment, Larry felt fear grip him. The reptiles of Super Bash Bunnies were quite scary. Big claws and teeth; fantastic abilities like breathing fire. Larry wondered just how tall a leopard gecko would be. Big as a normal leopard? His breaths quickened a bit. Then he was distracted by thinking of another character from the game that wasn't so scary. Wasn't that one a reptile, too? He was actually kind of cute, Larry thought.  
  
    Larry was standing behind Nick when the door opened. Larry timidly stared up at the space he expected to see Gigi, but saw nothing. His eyes slowly scanned down until, in disbelief, he regarded a creature not too much bigger than  _he_ was!  
  
    "Oh, Judy and Nick!" Jiji greeted in her charming accented mammalian. "Please come in, yes?" The three entered her new place. It looked fairly bare bones, as she had yet to unpack.  
  
    Larry looked over the leopard gecko. She was just about a foot tall, not counting her long tail. Her color was soft yellow with black splotches everywhere. Her yellow faded to white near her tail, and her neck and belly were also white. She had intriguing, fully dark green eyes with black slits, and the eyes had speckled light details in them that almost looked like stars. She was wearing a simple, but pretty light blue and white Pawaiian dress. Above all, though, she wore a very pleasant smile.   
  
    "Jiji," Judy said happily. "There's someone we'd like you to meet." Judy beckoned over to Larry, who shyly came out from behind Nick's legs.  
  
    Gigi's mouth dropped open in surprise instantaneously. She clasped her hands near her face in joy. Larry heard her say a few things he did not understand. "Who is this wonder you bring me? He is a squirrel, yes?" She was overjoyed, fighting the impulse to go hug him.  
  
    "I'm Larry," Larry introduced. His trepidation was wearing off; he hadn't expected her to be so small.  
  
    "Is he...?" Jiji looked up at Nick.  
  
    "We adopted him," Nick confirmed, nodding.  
  
    Jiji gasped in delight. "Your hearts are so warm, like the sun! I am very pleased for you all, yes?" Jiji could not help herself from drawing a bit closer to Larry and holding his hands gently. Larry didn't back away; Jiji seemed friendly.  
  
    "Um," Larry began, trying to think of something nice to say. He had more things to say than he thought, but he ended up with: "You look really young!"  
  
    "Oh...!" Jiji giggled, gently swinging his hands. "But I am not! Unless you would say twenty-seven is young, yes?"  
  
    "You uh, talk kinda different," Larry noted. Both Nick and Judy thought they might protest, but it sounded rather neutral to them, so they let it pass.  
  
    "My native language is reptilian, as I am from Pawaii, yes?" Jiji still was holding his hands.  
  
    "What's that sound like?" Larry was curious.  
  
    "<Little one, may your life be full of rich blessings that overflow from the land, sea, and sky, and may your family share in these blessings with you.>" Jiji squinted happily and slightly crouched as she earnestly said this, before gently letting go of his hands and straightening up, holding her hands in front of her and tilting her head forward in adoration.  
  
    Larry turned his head back to Nick and Judy. "What'd she say?"  
  
    "Not quite sure," Nick admitted. "I  _think_ it's a traditional Pawaiian blessing, to children. Something like, 'may you and your family have blessings.'"  
  
    "Ooh!" Jiji looked up, delighted. "You have been _practicing_ , Nick, yes?"  
  
    "A little bit," Nick shrugged humbly. "I just want to make sure reptiles aren't talking about me behind my back, you see."  
  
    "I will say nothing unpleasant, I hope!" Jiji giggled.  
  
    "So Jiji, did you find a job at a massage parlor here?" Judy wondered.  
  
    Though Jiji's smile did not waver, her eyes slightly turned apologetic and her head tilted. "Well, not quite. There was a restaurant I heard of in the Zootopia that wished to have authentic Pawaiian staff, yes? I obtained a working visa. I was very excited to come to the Zootopia, so I made arrangements to."  
  
    "Jiji..." Judy looked a bit concerned. "That's not really your _dream_ , is it...?"  
  
    "Not perfectly," Jiji admitted. "But it is still in the industry of service, yes? I may still make animals happy, and experience all the wonders of mammals."  
  
    "Well, as long as you're happy," Nick said.  
  
    "Oh but I am!" Jiji nodded. "Perhaps I will find my dream job yet within this city, maybe even become a citizen, yes?"  
  
    "Oh that would be amazing!" Judy clapped. "Anyone can be anything in Zootopia!"  
  
    "This I have heard!" Jiji smiled brightly.  
  


* * *

 

  
-Nick and Judy's Aarvark Rise Apartment-  
  
  
    A couple of months later, Judy entered her apartment in the evening, carrying a batch of laundry. Setting it down, she looked over at the couch, where Nick and Larry were. Larry was sitting on Nick's lap, running his toy car up and down his leg. Nick didn't look like he minded at all, or even noticed. He was eating from a bowl of popcorn off to the side as he watched TV. Judy nibbled on her knuckles with her front teeth, making a hum of pleasure, starting to giggle through the hum.  
  
    Larry noticed her. "What's Judy doing, Nick?"  
  
    "She thinks we're cute," Nick smirked down at him.  
  
    "Are we?" Larry wondered.  
  
    "No idea," Nick said, taking a popcorn piece and flicking it in an arc towards Larry. He made an "aaa" sound as he tried to catch it, tilting his head back, but it bounced off his forehead. "We'll work on that one."  
  
    Judy felt like she was melting into a puddle of gray goo. Her stupor was broken, however, by the sound of shuffling from the hall and a door shutting firmly. Her ears perked toward this, but the other two did not hear. Judy wandered to where her wall and Jiji's connected and thought she might have heard some sort of crying. Nick started to read concern on Judy's face.  
  
    "I think I might have left some clothes in the hallway," Judy fibbed, "so you boys stay here and keep being adorable, okay?"  
  
    "Kay," Larry nodded. Nick chuckled, gently jostling him by the shoulder.  
  
    Judy made her way into the hallway and gently knocked on Jiji's door. After awhile, the door cracked open and the smiling face of Jiji showed. However, Judy sensed something was wrong. Her eyes looked a bit... pained?  
  
    "Jiji, is everything okay?" Judy wondered.  
  
    "Um, yes, now is not a good time," Jiji shook her head.  
  
    "Okay, what would be a good time?" Judy tilted her head.  
  
    "Perhaps, t-two months from now...?" Jiji said in a weak voice, her eyes looking even more pained.  
  
    "Two _months_?" Judy tried to keep her voice down. "What's wrong?"  
  
    "It is nothing!" Jiji insisted. She kept the door nearly shut.  
  
    Judy's brow furrowed a bit. "Jiji, as a member of the ZPD, if I think anything is going on, I have the right and ability to open this door."  
  
    Jiji gave a frightened gasp. "Please, no! I am doing nothing illegal!" Judy felt a pang of guilt at how scared she sounded.  
  
    "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Judy apologized. "But please... I want to help you, if I can do anything at all..."  
  
    "You cannot help," Jiji said, looking like she would cry, though her smile stayed firm. "But, if I open this door, you will promise not to scream."  
  
    "Uh," Judy felt a pang of fear. "Okay, I promise." Jiji looked into the empty hallway cautiously, and opened the door a bit more, stepping out. Judy's stomach turned, and she felt like she might be ill. She steadied herself on the wall briefly.  
  
    "J-jiji...!" Judy said haltingly, attempting to stay quiet and calm, "Y-your _tail_...!" A very large portion of Jiji's previously long and comely tail was missing.  
  
    "Yes..." Jiji affirmed, tears welling.  
  
    "We have to get you to a hospital...!" Judy said in horror.  
  
    "N-no, it is fine, it is nothing..." Jiji waved her hands.  
  
    "It's not _nothing_ , a part of your  _body_ is missing!" Judy protested.  
  
    "I will be fine, I assure you..." Jiji's smile wobbled, but remained. Her eyes squeezed shut and a couple of tears escaped. "As I say, two months. My tail will grow back."  
  
    Judy's jaw dropped. "It will...?" Jiji nodded very quickly.  
  
    "Two months, and I will be as good as, as new..." Jiji said. Judy was a bit unsure, as Jiji's chirpy verbal tic had not made its way into the conversation once.  
  
    "Are you _sure_?" Judy asked. "Is there anything you're not telling me?"  
  
    "...It will," Jiji started to say with difficulty, "it will not be as lovely as my previous tail. It will be shorter, thicker, pinker."  
  
    "Oh, Jiji," Judy gave her a soft hug, which she tightly latched onto. "Are you in much pain? I can go get some pain reliever I got for Larry, if you won't let me take you to the hospital. Should be the right dosage for one your size..."  
  
    "I... am hurting, some..." Jiji admitted.   
  
    Judy was off in a flash, bolting into the apartment, grabbing the medicine from the cabinet, and waving to the fox and the squirrel. "Hi! Jiji has a bit of an ouchie so I'm just gonna take her some of this and you two just stay there and be completely amazing, okay!? I love you, thank you, bye!"  
  
    Larry looked puzzled, looking to Nick, who rolled his eyes. Judy was gone in seconds.  
  
    "It's about your bedtime, kiddo."  
  
    "Aw, okay."  
  


* * *

 

  
-Jiji's Aardvark Rise Apartment-  
  
  
    Judy sat next to Jiji on her smallish couch. Jiji swallowed a couple of pills with water and set the glass down.  
  
    "Thank you, Judy," Jiji said, trying not to let her tail touch anything. "I am grateful." Judy couldn't help gazing into the wound. It looked very unpleasant; Judy was surprised it wasn't still bleeding.  
  
    "H-how did this even happen, Jiji...?" Judy wondered, petting her back carefully. "Did someone... attack you?"  
  
    "Oh no, it was an accident, I am sure!" Jiji nodded, her eyes still slightly pained. "A horse... she was not... er, she did not see me." She was trying not to sound accusatory.  
  
    "Oh my stars and heavens..." Judy was horrified. She couldn't help imagining the visceral pain of a hoof coming down on a tail like that. "Did she at least say she was sorry? Offer any assistance? Call for an ambulance?"  
  
    "N-no, she ran from me," Jiji looked down. Judy clearly seemed disgusted. "No, please do not misunderstand! It was frightening for her too, I know this. My tail was off, still ...umh... t-twitching, as they do when removed."  
  
    Judy shivered at that. "D-does that happen often to leopard geckos?"  
  
    "It is not too uncommon," Jiji still seemed rather sad.  
  
    "I feel like something's bothering you that you're not saying," Judy noted.  
  
    "The leopard geckos with regrown tails..." Jiji said slowly. "They are not considered as beautiful. In the massage parlors, I know of no leopard geckos with regrown tails. They would like the prettiest ones possible for clients. I do not wish to brag, but I was considered quite pretty among my kind..."    
  
    "Oh I can believe that!" Judy said brightly, rubbing her back. "You are gorgeous!"  
  
    "T-that is very kind for a mammal to say to a reptile," Jiji's smile looked weak. "I do not know what the future holds for me, though. I am worried... maybe I will never be a masseuse again?"  
  
    "No, don't say that!" Judy said sadly in a high pitch. "Keep going with your dream, please! After all, I don't think anyone in Zootopia would be aware of that weird tail stigma they have going on over in Pawaii. Once you get it back I'm sure anyone would think you were just as lovely as before!"  
  
    Jiji seemed a bit unconvinced, but her eyes did not look as sad anymore.  
  
    "Jiji, whatever you do, please don't give up hope," Judy said kindly. "The service industry is such a perfect fit for you. And do you know why I think that?" Jiji tilted her head, and then shook it. "Because you are beautiful, and the most beautiful part of you is your amazingly sweet personality." Jiji gasped.  
  
    "Th-that is very kind of you to say, yes?" Jiji hugged the bunny. Her smile seemed warmer, at last.  
  
    Judy hugged gently in return. She was very careful of her tail.  
  


* * *

 

  
-Outside of Aardvark Rise-  
  
  
    It had been around twenty days since Jiji lost her tail. Nick caught sight of her across the block, at a small insectivore snack stand. He stood at the crosswalk, waiting for the signal, hoping to go see her and ask her how she was.  
  
    "I wish to have the umh, cricket snack, please," Jiji said, smiling. Her tail was starting to grow back; it was just a fleshy looking nub at the moment.  
  
    "Well, which one? I have like half a dozen kinds," the badger at the counter said impatiently, indicating his menu.  
  
    "I wish, umh, that one, yes?" Jiji pointed at the menu. Irritated, the badger followed her finger.  
  
    "Alright, whatever," the badger shrugged, getting it ready. Jiji hesitantly reached into her wallet to produce some money.  
  
    "Thank you!" Jiji said, offering the money. The badger's expression was sour.  
  
    "This stick is five bucks, not three!" The badger spat, holding the stick full of crickets away from her. "Whatsa matter, can't you read?" Jiji didn't answer. Nick's eyes widened and he started to hope the signal would change very soon. "Oh, I get it, you can't, can you? You're too good for our language, aren'tcha, you furless freak?" Jiji flinched, but she was still, as always, smiling.  
  
    "Okay, wow, that's quite enough!" Nick said with a faux pleasant tone, rushing over to Jiji. "Nick Wilde-Hopps, ZPD!" He flashed his badge. "How about you apologize to this nice leopard gecko and give her the food?"  
  
    "Hey fox, it's a free country, I can say what I want," the badger's eyes narrowed. "This little 'lizard' is just a stupid foreigner. She's as dumb as she looks! Look at that vapid smile on her face, she probably can't understand a word I'm sayin'!" Nick looked at Jiji. Her smile remained, but Nick was getting good at reading her eyes. She was hurt.  
  
    "Alright well, ma'am," Nick said to Jiji. "How about I take you to a  _much_ nicer insectivore store I know, one  _much_ more deserving of your time and money?"  
  
    "Up your tail, pig!" The badger sneered at him, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't need no business from any scaly immigrants!"  
  
    "And you certainly will not have it," Nick suddenly gave a displeased, intense growl. The badger's eyes widened. Nick's expression immediately became pleasant again. "Good day."  
  
    "You are so kind to me, yes...?" Jiji giggled softly as Nick walked with her. Nick heard a groaning. He looked at her in concern and her eyes looked apologetic. "I am hungry, hehe..." It had come from her tummy.  
  
    "It's just couple of blocks from here, Jiji, but let me take you there, okay?" Nick said in concern.  
  
    "I appreciate this," Jiji nodded.  
  
    "I hate to say this," Nick said, his hands in his pockets, "but I'm almost sorry you have to be stuck with that lovely smile on your face all of the time."  
  
    "Oh no, it is not like that at all!" Jiji laughed. "I can frown, it just takes some effort, yes?" She frowned at Nick. It looked very, very genuine and sorrowful. He felt his heart ache. Her smile returned. "I do not like to frown. I do not like to cause trouble to anyone at all, yes? It is better that they do not know if I am sad."  
  
    Nick's heartache began to blaze. "Jiji I... wow. I really understand where you're coming from..."  
  
    Jiji giggled cheerfully. "Of course you do, it is Pawaii!"   
  
    "Oh, oops, that's a figure of speech," Nick laughed gently. "I mean, I think you and I are actually alike in a lot of ways. I used to hide my emotions all the time, too. I didn't want anyone to know they got to me. But, sometimes, we can only be healed if we show our wounds."  
  
    "I see," Jiji nodded. Nick tried not to look at her tail.  
  
    "What I'm saying is, Jiji..." Nick crouched down when they had to wait at the next crosswalk, offering his hand to her. She placed hers in it. "Please. If you're hurting, or anyone is giving you trouble, please let me or Judy know. I'm begging you. We're your friends. If you don't feel like smiling, don't. Show us what's wrong; let us help."  
  
    Jiji gasped in surprised. "You would call me a friend?"  
  
    "Puh! Of course!" Nick looked amazed she didn't think they would. "After all, I have  _plenty_ of friends that have never seen me sans clothes, and you have!"  
  
    Jiji placed her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment. She said quietly in reptilian: "<Nick, you and Judy are very special people. I will treasure your friendship.>"  
  
    "<And I, yours.>" Nick said in return. Jiji was not expecting him to understand this, and a happy, embarrassed giggle escaped from her.  
  
    "Is that a happy smile?" Nick asked accusingly.  
  
    "Very..." Jiji was beaming.   
  
    Nick led her into the insectivore shop. There were lots of foods there that looked quite delightful, if you were into that sort of thing. There were crickets, worms, bees with their honey, and several other items. The shop owner was a laid back looking male moon bear, which they were known as from the white v-shape of fur on their chest.   
  
    "Oh hey, Nick!" The bear greeted with a friendly wave. "Wow, is that a _leopard gecko_?"  
  


* * *

 

  
-Aardvark Rise, Nick and Judy's Floor-  
  
  
    "Jiji!" The squirrel's voice called down the hall. Larry had caught sight of Jiji right before he, Nick, and Judy had entered their apartment. Larry tore down the hall to go say hi, meeting her near the elevator. Nick and Judy both held out cautionary hands, but it was to no avail. Jiji was carrying two bags of groceries; it had been ten days since Nick had talked to her on the street. "Can I help?"  
  
    Jiji looked to Nick and Judy for permission, and they softly nodded, walking down to be closer.   
  
    "Thank you, sweet boy," Jiji said, offering him the lighter of the two bags. He and Jiji walked toward her door slowly.  
  
    "I kinda feel like we're cheating a little with this parenting thing," Nick grinned with his hands in his pockets.  
  
    "How so?" Judy asked, her hands folding.  
  
    "Larry obviously got a head start on being an exceptional kid. He was like that when we met him," Nick nodded over to him.  
  
    "Yeah, that's probably why Mrs. Curlyque was so desperate to find him a home before she..." Judy trailed off, looking down. Nick wrapped an arm around her.  
  
    Larry flinched at the first can he could read from looking into the bag. He made a grossed out face. "Eww, worms!?"   
  
    Jiji laughed. "That is right. Not for squirrel kids to eat. They enjoy the nuts and the berries, yes?"  
  
    "Yeah," Larry nodded. He looked at Jiji's tail. Its growing had increased rapidly, and it was looking like an actual tail. It was still pink and texture-less. "Does your tail hurt?"  
  
    "Not so much anymore, Larry," Jiji nodded, opening the door to her place and going to set her things down. "It is just a bit sensitive, yes?"  
  
    "Nick told me you can't uh, can't read?" Larry asked, hoping this didn't fall under "not nice".  
  
    "No, not mammalian," Jiji shook her head. Then, she tilted it flippantly left and right a few times in a rather cute way. "But, I will learn."  
  
    "That's okay, I didn't know how to read a few years ago, either," Larry tried to give a reassuring smile. Jiji laughed in amusement. Nick and Judy both made stifled chuckles, standing at Jiji's doorway.  
  
    "What a lovely child you are," Jiji told him warmly.  
  
    "Um," Larry was suddenly apprehensive, "you don't want to leave, do you? Back to uh, paw-eye-ee?"  
  
    "I do not think so!" Jiji tilted her head, curious at the question. "Unless you would very much want me to." Jiji gave a small smile.  
  
    "No! No, don't," Larry shook his head. "You're nice. I just wondered, cuz, y'know, people have been mean to you."  
  
    "Oh it is just a few little things," Jiji waved her hand dismissively. "I have found much friendship and love in the Zootopia already, yes? A few mean people are not going to chase me off to Pawaii."  
  
    "Okay," Larry nodded, satisfied. "Nick said that anyone can be nice if they practice."  
  
    "That is true!" Jiji giggled. "But, if you were to ask me, I would say that you and your family do not need help with this, yes?" Larry tried to parse this compliment while Nick and Judy stood warmly in the doorway.  
  
    "Um, well, here's your bug stuff," Larry said, handing her the bag he was still carrying with a cautious, uneasy face.   
  
    "Aw, thank you for your help, Larry," Jiji's smile was pure. "I will see you all soon, yes?"  
  
    Judy nodded. "Yes."   
  


* * *

 

  
-A Taste of Pawaii-  
  
  
    One month later, Nick and Judy decided to take Larry with them to the Pawaiian restaurant they knew Jiji worked at. Larry was at his usual perch, his arms on one of Nick's shoulders and feet at his back. Nick barely even noticed his weight or paws there anymore, but loved wearing Larry like an accessory. A bearded dragon greeted them politely.  
  
    "Welcome to a Taste of Pawaii, fine Pawaiian dining," he started, "I am Giz-mho." He blinked at them. "Ah you do know this is primarily a carnivore eatery?" Larry sniffed around. Nothing particularly said "food" to his nose.  
  
    "We'll be okay," Judy smiled.  
  
    "Table for two, then?" Giz-mho asked.  
  
    "Three, actually," Judy giggled, pointing to Larry, who waved.  
  
    "Oh, I see!" Giz-mho hadn't seen such an eclectic family before. "Two adults and one child it is."  
  
    "And if you don't mind," Nick started, poking his head up until he saw Jiji. "We'd like her to serve us, the leopard gecko."  
  
    "Ah, she is quite popular," Giz-mho nodded. "It will be a few more minutes, then."  
  
    "When'm I not gonna be a child anymore?" Larry wondered from atop Nick's shoulder.  
  
    "Maybe when you grow out of being the most adorable thing in the universe," Judy said perkily, touching her nose to his.  
  
    "So, uh, never?" Nick smirked.  
  
    They were seated, and Larry was given a kid's activity sheet and some crayons. Larry was sitting on the table so he wouldn't need a very specific chair. Judy took in how Larry grabbed the green crayon and very carefully started at the outside of the leaves of a palm tree, staying in the lines while he colored it gently. She wondered if this said anything about his personality. Jiji approached.  
  
    "Oh, hello!" Jiji said. She was wearing a fetching pink and white Pawaiian dress and matching floral crown. "I did not expect to see you here, yes? This place does not have very much for non-meat eaters..."  
  
    Judy giggled. "Yeah, we know; is there anything you  _can_ recommend for us silly leaf-eaters, though?"  
  
    Jiji thought, tapping her pen to her chin. "Ah, there is a dish we have that is very popular among iguana. It has fresh spinach, thick noodles, herbs and spices, carrots, and a few other things. It tastes good with soy sauce, I have heard."  
  
    "Okay then, three of those!" Judy said cheerfully. "Water all around, too, and apple juice for Larry if you have it." Larry liked apple juice, but he didn't know if he liked the sound of his incoming meal. "Oh and please leave off the spicy spices for us." Jiji nodded at all this.  
  
    "Your tail is looking great," Nick noted with a smirk.  
  
    "Ah, do you like it?" Jiji twirled around slowly and showed off her still quite pink, but now spotted tail. "I will admit, as regrown tails go, it is not so bad, yes?"  
  
    "Yeah, looks good to me!" Judy agreed. Jiji gave them a happy smile with her eyes closed and headed off. Soon enough, she returned with their meals.  
  
    "I hope you will enjoy, yes?" Jiji said. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do."  
  
    Larry looked apprehensive about his food, poking it with a fork.  
  
    "Larry," Judy smiled at him, "go ahead and try your food okay? If you don't like it, that's fine, but it's better to try something and not like it than never have tried it at all." Larry looked up at this and nodded. Nick poured a small bit of soy sauce on it for him. He tried a bite, looking quite contemplative as he chewed.  
  
    "It's okay, mom," Larry shrugged. Judy froze mid-chew and her eyes widened. He had said it so casually.  
  
    _Mom..._  
  
    Judy had thought she had prepared for this moment. She wanted to play it cool and easy to let him know it was no big deal, but she felt suddenly almost panicky with glee. Her eyes started swimming a bit; she stared up at the ceiling while quickly fanning near her face with her hands. Nick grinned at the reaction. Larry was confused.  
  
    "Dad... is mom okay?" Larry looked concerned.  
  
    Nick flinched. He'd gotten the other barrel. He tried to clear his throat, feeling it tighten uncomfortably.  
  
    "W-well buddy," Nick started, "I think your mother might have gotten into some spicy food." His voice cracked uncharacteristically when he said "mother". Judy made a little high-pitched squeal, shutting her eyes and nodding while fanning her face. She reached for her water to complete the story. "And I think I might have, too." He coughed. Judy could feel his tail swishing and touching her hip.  
  
    Larry took another, curious bite. "It's not spicy to me! I'm okay."  
  
    "You're more than okay," Judy said in a weak, but adoring voice. "You are _wonderful_..."   
  
    Larry looked to Nick for clarification, as Judy was staring at him with a face that looked like it was exuding heart-shaped bubbles. "Are you really this proud of me for eating this weird food?"  
  
    "S-something like that, sport," Nick said with a wobbly grin. Jiji caught sight of something going on at their table and headed over.  
  
    "Is everything okay?" Jiji wondered curiously, her smile small.  
  
    "Mom and dad got something spicy and now they're acting funny," Larry explained. The two both stifled ecstatic laughs of joy at hearing him say this. "...Really funny."  
  
    Jiji looked shocked. "I told them to use no spice!"  
  
    "It's okay, it's okay!" Judy waved her hands. "All gone now, we're completely fine! Just one big... happy family!"  
  
    "Mm hm," Nick nodded his agreement. "Must have been just one little thing that got us to act like that..." He was grinning at Larry.  
  
    "I have seen this is true, yes?" Jiji's smile was wide as she caught on. "A happy family, and one little thing..." She also looked at Larry.  
  
    "What did I do?" Larry asked, his eyes wary. "Am I in trouble?"  
  
    "The furthest thing from that, Larry" Nick winked.  
  
    Larry sighed in relief, then kept eating. His family could be so weird.  
  


* * *

 

  
-Nick and Judy's Aardvark Rise Apartment-  
  
      
    Three weeks passed, and Judy was getting home from the store. She barely looked at Nick as she started to put groceries away.  
  
    "Honey fox, at Maulgreens they had a buy one get one on these small cricket snacks," Judy began, then thought about what she was saying. "Huh, bogo." She shook her head. "Anyway, I thought it was too good of a deal so I bought them for Jiji. I couldn't get her to answer the door, though, so I just thought I'd tell you in case you're wondering why we have two boxes of crickets." She finally stopped talking and looked up at Nick. Nick was standing in the doorway to Larry's room, his arms folded, a pleased smile on his face, and his tail wagging.  
  
    "Oh, I know where Jiji is," Nick said in almost a haze.  
  
    "Whaaaat is going on in there?" Judy said suspiciously, curiously holding her head low while trying to look through Nick. Nick spun around and grabbed her by the shoulders.  
  
    "It's too dangerous to go in without preparations," Nick said. "It is weapons-grade adorable in there." Judy made a wry face, rolling her eyes. "I'm serious! You're going to get third-degree cute injuries from even looking. So." Nick turned her around, and hooked his arms under hers.  
  
    "Nick..." Judy was only slightly exasperated with Nick's antics.  
  
    "Okay, deep breath, you ready?" Nick prepared her.  
  
    "Ready..." Judy rolled her eyes. Nick spun her around to look inside Larry's room.  
  
    Larry was sitting on the bed next to Jiji, a story book laid across both their laps. Larry would take a turn reading a page, then say "your turn!" and wait for Jiji to read. Jiji's words were halting as she read carefully and she looked to Larry for instruction and correction, but would read her page and end with a "yes?" Larry would then respond "uh huh!" Judy's mouth hung agape.  
  
    "Oh..." Judy squeaked quietly in adoration. She slumped in Nick's arms, but neither of them knew if it was just Judy playing into Nick's antics or if she really thought it was cute enough for her to be weak at the knees.  
  
    "See?" Nick chuckled. "I told ya."


End file.
